Qualifier 105 skipper Eric Weldele wrote on November 30: "The boat sure got a nice fresh water rinse today. When I got up this morning it was raining pretty good and it basically rained on and off throughout the day. But that did not stop us from fishing. Today was by far our best day of fishing. First thing this morning we got on a spot of fish that ranged from 60 to just over 200 pounds. After getting some of those we got on another spot right away and spent the rest of the day drifting on the same spot. It sure was nice not to have to move the boat from sometime before 7:00 am until somewhere around 6:30 at night.

"For our efforts we managed to catch fish that ranged in the 50 to 200-pound range. It was an absolutely beautiful day, aside from the rain. We had some heart breakers again today. There was one standout fish that the hook pulled out on, just inches from the gaff. It was by far bigger than any of the other 200-pounders that we had already captured on the stop. In a way it was slightly disappointing, but that's just the way it is, there was nothing more we could possibly do. We had already had a wonderful morning and that is just part of fishing for big fish. Things are going to happen and some fish are going to get away.

"We ended our trip with one final fish that taped out at over 200 pounds and are currently enroute for San Diego. We have a long travel ahead of us and are looking forward to the rest and relaxation of traveling home. Everybody aboard the boat has had a wonderful trip and there are many personal bests currently on their way home."

At the Pt. Loma Sportfishing dock December 3 Weldele offloaded his 28 anglers aboard the ten-day Baker Reels-Performance Tackle charter and weighed the best of the catch. There were six tuna over 200 pounds.

Joseph ("Loreto Joe") Chinovsky of Culver City got the best tuna, a 227-pounder, using friend Harvey "The Hook" Segal's rig: a sardine on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook, with 130-pound Big Game leader, 130-pound Jin Kai line on a Baker-modified Penn 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod. He said the fish fought for 45 minutes.

Don Sullivan won second and third places for tuna of 219 and 210 pounds. He used a sardine on a 7/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Blackwater Spectra on a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 7460 XH rod wrapped by Jim Trelickes.

"These are my first two cows," said Sullivan. "The first one boiled up on my bait at the bow, ten feet away. He came up quick. The second one took an hour.

"You know, I bought your book Fresh One several years ago," continued Sullivan, "and the first thing that happened was I tried a whole squid on a jig like you suggested, and got a huge white seabass. I bought my ticket for this trip through The Friends of Rollo, the way I buy all my tickets."

Curtis Owens of Perfection Tackle took a 217-pound yellowfin tuna. Frank Knebel of Phoenix got a 203.8-pounder in 45 minutes. He used a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-pound big Game line and Spectra, a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Jeremy Jorda of Long Beach got a 200.8-pounder, with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 130-pound Seaguar leader and 100-pound Izorline on a TLD 30 reel and a Calstar 700 XH rod.